...Right Now...Over Me...

My harold team, The Rabble.

It finally feels like we're coming together.

It's funny how a team can start out on such different pages and then, after time and stage time, be on the same page.
Or at least, similar pages.

We had a sub-coach at our rehearsal last night, Cesar.
Cesar is an excellent coach. Excellent.
It's the first time in almost a year that I have heard such thorough notes.

I am looking forward to our show tonight, 10:30pm at iO, upstairs. Come see us, won't you?

Back To You...

Well, my little mini-vacation is over.
While it wasn't spent in Texas, it was still nice. I needed it.

Not taking a break at Christmas was harder than I thought it would be. After having a break every year forever, it really dragged me down to not.

I feel better now, rejuvenated. I spent most of my 5 days off resting. And I only had two shows.

So it's back to the grind, until President's Day weekend, where I will attempt to go home & stay there.

Last night at The Spot, Insult to Injury performed our first Living Room together. It was a lot of fun and I'm enjoying the energy that trying a new form every few weeks brings.

A Cold Chance In Hell

Hm.
I am back in Chicago, because lo and behold, Second City had me do callbacks.

Yikes.
They were this morning at 9am & there were a lot of talented improvisers there.

I think I did okay. Considering.

I don't really expect to be offered anything but it was awesome to see how the callbacks are run. Much different than the initial audition.

We did:
Intro
Introduce a short form game (basically prove you can emcee)
Play a short form game (I was in four-square)
20 minute montage (boy, was that crowded)
Prepared scenes

I ended up with a Maribeth Monroe/Joe Canale scene from the last mainstage review.
Matt Mages was my partner, he's awesome.

My favorite part of the scene:
Maribeth: You know I write that Rumsfeld every week and he's never written me back. Not once.
Joe: He's a busy man.
Maribeth: Oh is he busy? Busy like you, busy? Look at all the floods of people in here.

The audition ended with a thank you from Mick.
Mick: Second City will be hiring throughout the year. Thank you for coming.

The Worst Audition Ever.

My roommate is nervous about her SC audition, which is today (break a leg Andi).

Last night at rehearsal for our Playground team (which I had to miss), she told me that she did some of the worse scenes she has done in years. She felt like it was a bad omen for today.

This all came around to this - even if you tried, I don't think you can do the worst audition ever. Even if you were trying your hardest, giving it your all.

Think about it really. Really. The worst audition that has ever been audited.

Me: Go in and when they ask you to say your name, mess it up. Then face the wrong way.
Andi: My "about me" can be that I wasn't nervous about the audition, but then I had to sit next to a black person on the train and now I'm worried I smell like them. Do I smell like them?*

I still don't think that would be the worst audition ever.

*Racism is stupid. I have trouble understanding how someone can say something racist and be serious about it. It's stupid.

Up To The Minute

I had my Second City audition yesterday, it went surprisingly well. I always brace myself for that person that freaks out and makes me nervous. But he wasn't there. It was a very collected group, although I could still feel the nerves.

I didn't have nerves...I went in not believing that I had a cold chance in hell. I still believe that...
However, I did have a good audition.

In fact, most of the time I audition well. Suspiciously well.

At lunch yesterday, Jason said that maybe it was because I need the pressure. But it's the opposite, I feel less pressured in auditions. I didn't know why, until...

Flash forward to 11pm, I was in the shower. (I think we can agree we all do our best thinking in the shower.) I realized, in an audition, the only person I can let down is myself. So, no pressure.

In shows one-tenth or one-fifth or one-third (whatever) of the show is up to me. That's where all my inner pressure comes from. I can let down my teammates, my director, the audience...yikes.

Stop pressuring yourself Tab. Stop it.

In all honesty, I had already made leaps and bounds with this - even though I didn't understand what was happening.
Upon realizing the source of my nerves, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

I am a big believer in that once you realize what is bothering you or why, you deal with it conciously and it goes away.

I already feel like it's gone.